Chelsea’s £32million goal machine has made a phenomenal impact on English football by netting seven times in four matches and displaying a street-fighting mentality which has already seen him involved in some high-profile flare-ups.

Costa roared into the face of Everton’s Seamus Coleman to celebrate in last month’s 6-3 victory at Goodison, having been booked during an earlier skirmish with the Irishman.

And he escaped punishment despite appearing to lash out at Gylfi Sigurdsson during a hat-trick performance in last week’s 4-2 win over Swansea.

“It happens here, it happened in Spain. Wherever I play, it’ll always be like that.

"It’s a perception people have of my character and people will look for any way to try to take advantage of it.

“But the reality is, for the moment, I haven’t had any really physical battles in England yet.”

Chelsea full-back Felipe Luis, who arrived from Atletico Madrid along with Costa after winning the Spanish title and reaching the Champions League final last season, reckons the striker is a future Ballon D’Or World ­Footballer of the Year winner.

And he says Costa’s “crazy” ­will-to-win reminds him of their new boss Jose Mourinho.

Luis said: “I was not surprised Diego started so well. I’ve played alongside him for five years and his growth as a player has been huge.

“I have no doubt he will be in the top five in the world for the Ballon D’Or this year.

“He has never needed time to adapt in any place. He doesn’t care about anything.

"For some players, like me, it is not easy when you get a new club, new team-mates.

"The physicality here, ­especially, is very different – but, for Diego, it’s never difficult.

“Everything is easy for him. He always wants to win and, if he doesn’t, he gets crazy, he gets mad.

“Jose [Mourinho] is also like this. People with ambition, they always want to win and if you don’t, it gets you mad.

"These sort of people really have to succeed in life.”

Luis added: “Sometimes, on the field, Diego looks like he is crazy and he fights... but he has one of the purest hearts I have ever known.”

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Asked about the comparison with the Special One, Costa said: “Well, I don’t like to lose, I think that gets noticed.

"It’s something that many times goes well, but other times goes badly for me. I’m just like that. It always annoys me to lose.

“I don’t think I am the type of person who thinks, ‘Things are getting on top of me’.

“I always make a big effort, fight with all my strength, make the best of a situation.”

Costa’s path to the top was not smooth at Atletico, with loan moves to Braga, Albacete, Celta Vigo and Rayo Vallecano – and one season on a permanent deal to Real Valladolid, which ended in relegation.

But after living in the shadows of Sergio Aguero and Radamel Falcao, Costa fired Atletico to a shock title triumph last year and to within minutes of becoming champions of Europe.